[Agreed. There are strong parallels between what is happening in the Middle East and what happened in Africa. Jan]

Maxwell wrote:-
And of course we all know that Abbas and his PLO along with their friends in Hamas are looking toward Africa for inspiration. They are using quite similar tactics other “national liberation” forces have used in Africa such as Mugabe’s forces who used the Zimbabwe state to destroy the Rhodesian state and the Communist ANC where they are friendly toward each other:

Africa serves as inspiration to Palestinians: Abbas

ADDIS ABABA/MOSCOW: Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas told African leaders on Monday that their fight for independence served as an inspiration to his people™s quest for statehood. Calling the Palestinians the last victims of colonialism, Abbas said he remained confident the œlong road to independence would be completed but also acknowledged that hope was diminishing as a result of Israeli policies and internal divisions.

œThe support which you have provided our people has reinforced our hope and belief that the fight for independence and setting up of an independent state with Occupied-al-Quds as its capital will be achieved, Abbas said in a keynote speech at the African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. œThe fight of African leaders to free themselves from colonialism and racism is a great source of inspiration to our people who are the last people to still be the victims of colonialism.

The African Union has been one of the most steadfast supporters of the Palestinian cause. In a report released at the ongoing summit by its executive council, the AU launched a scathing attack on Israel for its œrepressive measures, inhumane aggressions and all state terrorism acts perpetrated against The AU includes a number of Arab countries, including Egypt, which is one of the few Muslim countries to have diplomatic relations with Israel.

Abbas said that events in Gaza, where 30 people have been killed in four days in the worst bout of internecine violence in a year, were œtragic. œThese tragic events and internal killings stem mainly from the existence of numerous authorities, he said in reference to the rivalry between official security services which he controls and rival forces loyal to the government of the Islamist movement Hamas.

œWe will not allow any civil war as Palestinian blood is sacred, he added. Abbas also reiterated his threat issued in December to call early elections if the disputes between Hamas and Fatah are not resolved and he cannot find agreement on the formation of a national unity cabinet.

œThe alternative would be to refer to the people and organise legislative and presidential elections, he said; Hamas, which beat Abbas™s Fatah movement by a landslide in parliamentary elections a year ago, has warned the president against calling a fresh ballot.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Monday accused unidentified outsiders of instigating Palestinian factional strife that he said was threatening civil war and hindering a relaunch of peace talks with Israel.

Fighting between President Mahmoud Abbas™s Fatah faction and militants of the governing Hamas Islamist movement went into a fifth day on Monday. So far, 30 people have been killed. œEfforts to resume the negotiation process with Israel have stumbled over the threat of a civil war in the Palestinian territories, Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as telling a Russian government meeting chaired by President Vladimir Putin.

Lavrov is expected to take part in a meeting of the Quartet Middle East mediating group in Washington on Feb. 2 to try toget the Israeli-Palestinian peace process back on track. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to host the meeting. œThe goal of the Quartet is to help overcome the standoff between the Palestinians, namely between Fatah and Hamas, and stop efforts which unfortunately are being carried out from outside to provoke conflict between these groups, Lavrov said.

œIf their efforts were not being hindered from abroad, these two main Palestinian groups could quickly come to agreement, Lavrov said separately in televised remarks. Lavrov did not say who he thought was hindering are conciliation. The United States and other Western countries support Abbas, while Hamas is backed by Syria and Iran.

Source: The News
URL: http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=40946/p>